Bulgaria's Constitution Court Fate still Surrounded by Mystery

Former right-wing President, Petar Stoyanov, is yet to give an answer of acceptance or rejection of his Constitutional Court nomination, keeping the constitutional crisis alive. Photo by BGNES

Former Bulgarian right-wing President, Petar Stoyanov (1997 – 2002), is yet to reveal his decision on accepting or rejecting his recent nomination for constitutional judge.

His Chief of Staff, Diyana Borimirova, informs he has meetings in Vienna, and the time of his exact return is unknown. Borimirova, however, assures the President is very well aware of all that is happening in Sofia and is planning to arrive ASAP to reveal his decision.

The Parliament voted Thursday to strike back one of its previous constitutional judge appointments from the two from its quota and to launch a replacement procedure.

A seat in the Constitutional Court remained empty on November 15, when Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev walked out just as controversial judge Veneta Markovska was about to swear in.

Markovska's name had become implicated in allegations of trade in influence, which she was unable to dispel, but nevertheless chose not to resign, after being elected to the Constitutional Court by Parliament.

After Plevneliev's move, Friday Bulgarian MPs decided to launch a new procedure to choose another constitutional judge from the parliamentary quota.

Monday Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov unexpectedly informally invited the right-wing Union of Democratic Forces, UDF, to nominate a replacement for Markovska on grounds the formation was the oldest right-wing party in Bulgaria and is a member of the European People's Party, EPP, similarly to his ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB.

The move is interpreted as an attempt from the PM to attract the allegiance of the Union and create further divisions in the feeble Blue Coalition between the UDF and DSB.

On Tuesday, UDF leader, Emil Kabaivanov, announced the nomination of the former President.

After Petar Stoyanov's nomination, it emerged that he faces boycott by all opposition parties in the Parliament, including his own.

In addition to own right-wingers, the Socialist party, BSP, and the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, have also said they will boycott the new procedure since, they claim, it has been rigged.

Stoyanov has asked to have three days to say if he would accept the nomination and is likely to turn it down, deepening the constitutional crisis, according to experts and media reports. He already said he had too many international commitments and is expected to decline not only because of his regular activities abroad, but also because of the stern opposition his candidature will face in the Parliament.

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